New Year Bird Prediction

 

Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0
 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>
via Wikimedia Commons

I have a superstition that the first bird I see on New Year's Day is a predictor of my birding success for the upcoming year. Because of that, I tried very hard not to look at my feeders that morning. I was heading out to a hike later and thought I would likely see a better bird on the way. But motion in yard drew my attention anyway, and there were two birds on one of my feeders--a white-winged dove and a Eurasian collared dove. Just what I was trying to avoid!

I was bummed. I told some of my fellow Texas Master Naturalist members at the hike and one of them said I should look at it that I saw two birds and therefore, that would mean I will see twice as many birds, regardless of the fact that neither of these birds are particularly exciting. I'm going to use their interpretation.

                                                    Good birding!                                                   

Mohan Raj, CC BY-SA 3.0
 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>
 via Wikimedia Commons

  

Happy New Year!

I started 2009 on an up note. I got up a little late after playing taxi for my daughter last night (I am very grateful she has the sense to make arrangements for this.) I didn't get out to fill my bird feeders until a little after 8. A crisp, sunny morning.

My first bird of the new year was the cedar waxwing. I had been wondering where they have been. Some of my birding friends have been seeing and hearing them for weeks, but I have not been so lucky. But when I walked out my back door this morning, their call was the first thing I heard. There was a flock of about a dozen sitting in the top of my neighbor's tree.

Such a wonderful bird to start the new year--I am taking the experience as a good omen for 2009.

Good birding!